Moffett Federal Airfield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Moffett Federal Airfield
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| Airport type | Public/military | ||||||||||||||
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| Location | Santa Clara County, near Mountain View and Sunnyvale, California, US | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 37 ft / 11 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 37°24′54″N 122°02′54″W / 37.41500°N 122.04833°W | ||||||||||||||
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Source: Federal Aviation Administration
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Moffett Federal Airfield (IATA: NUQ, ICAO: KNUQ, FAA LID: NUQ), also known as Moffett Field, is an airport in Santa Clara County, California. It is located between Mountain View and Sunnyvale. This airport is used by both civilians and the military. In 2014, NASA agreed to lease a large part of the airfield to Google for 60 years.
The airport is close to the southern end of San Francisco Bay. It used to be a US Navy base. Now, the NASA Ames Research Center owns and runs it. Some military groups still use the airfield. These include the 129th Rescue Wing of the California Air National Guard. They fly HC-130J and HH-60G aircraft. The 7th Psychological Operations Group of the US Army Reserve is also based here. NASA also flies its own planes from Moffett.
The airport has three very large buildings called Hangar One, Hangar Two, and Hangar Three. These hangars, along with the nearby Shenandoah Plaza, are part of a special National Historic District. This means they are important historical places.
Hangar One is one of the biggest buildings in the world that stands on its own. It covers about 8 acres (32,000 square meters). It was built in 1931. Hangar One is a Naval Historical Monument. It is also listed as one of America's Most Endangered Places.
Hangars Two and Three are some of the world's largest wooden buildings that stand on their own. They were built during World War II. They were part of a plan to protect the coast using lighter-than-air aircraft. Seven of these original wooden hangars still exist today. Two are at Moffett Field.
The nearby NASA Ames Research Center has several wind tunnels. These include the Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel. This tunnel is a National Historic Landmark.
Contents
History of Moffett Field
Early Days in Sunnyvale
In 1931, the city of Sunnyvale bought a large piece of land. It was about 1,000 acres (4 square kilometers) next to San Francisco Bay. People in Santa Clara County helped raise money for it. They then "sold" the land to the US government for just $1. The idea was to make it a home base for the Navy airship USS Macon.
This spot was perfect for an airport. The weather here is often clear. This is because the Coast Range to the west blocks the cold ocean fog.
The Navy air station was officially approved in 1931. President Herbert Hoover signed the law. Building started on July 8, 1931. The base was first called Airbase Sunnyvale CAL. This was to avoid people worrying about airships hitting mountains. The station officially opened on April 12, 1933, as NAS Sunnyvale.
After Rear Admiral William A. Moffett died in an airship accident in 1933, the airfield was renamed NAS Moffett Field. This happened on September 1, 1933.
After the Macon airship crashed in 1935, the Navy thought about closing Moffett Field. It was very expensive to run. However, President Franklin D. Roosevelt did not want it closed. So, the Army took over Moffett Field in October 1935. The Army used Moffett as a training center for pilots.
In 1939, the Ames Aeronautical Laboratory was also started at Moffett.
After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Navy wanted Moffett's airship hangars for blimp operations. The Army had to move its training headquarters. On April 16, 1942, the Navy got control of Moffett Field back. It was again called NAS Sunnyvale, then quickly renamed NAS Moffett Field.
From the end of World War II until it closed, NAS Moffett Field was important for anti-submarine warfare. It was home to planes like the Lockheed P2V Neptune and P-3 Orion. These planes flew patrols along the Pacific coastline.
In the 1950s, Moffett was a base for fighter jets. But by 1961, the last fighter planes had left.
In August 1986, Moffett Field held an Airshow. Famous flight teams like the Frecce Tricolori from Italy performed.
In the 1990s, NAS Moffett Field was the main base for the US Navy's P-3C operations in the Pacific. Many squadrons and training groups were based there.
NASA Takes Over
After the Cold War, the military made cutbacks. NAS Moffett Field was chosen to be closed. Many squadrons moved to other bases or were shut down.
On July 1, 1994, NAS Moffett Field officially closed as a naval air station. It was given to the NASA Ames Research Center. NASA Ames now runs the facility as Moffett Federal Airfield.
Today, Moffett Federal Airfield has some air traffic. It is used by the California Air National Guard and NASA. Lockheed Martin Space Systems also uses it. The private planes of the Google founders are also parked here. The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department uses it for their helicopter. Even Air Force One lands here when the President visits the Bay Area.
In 2008, NASA Ames Research Center leased land around the airfield to Google. Google started building a large office complex there in 2013. This area is called "Bay View" and is part of the nearby Googleplex.
Hangar One
Hangar One at Moffett Field was built during the Great Depression. It was made for the USS Macon airship. This hangar, and the other World War II blimp hangars, are still some of the largest buildings in the country without internal supports.
The hangar is made of steel girders covered with galvanized steel. Its floor covers eight acres (32,000 square meters). This is enough space for six football fields! The hangar is 1,133 feet (343 meters) long and 308 feet (93 meters) wide. It is 198 feet (60 meters) high. Its walls curve like a dome. The huge "orange peel" doors weigh 500 tons (511.88 tonnes) each. They are moved by their own powerful motors.
The inside of the hangar is so big that fog can sometimes form near the ceiling. Planes and tractors look like toys inside. There are maintenance shops and offices along its length. Catwalks and elevators allow people to reach all parts of the structure.
Tracks run through the hangar. These tracks helped move airships in and out. When the Macon was based at Moffett, Hangar One could hold the giant airship and several smaller ones at the same time.
In 2003, plans to turn Hangar One into a space and science center were stopped. This was because toxic chemicals were found leaking from the building. These chemicals came from the lead paint and other materials used to coat the hangar.
The US Navy looked at ways to clean up the chemicals. NASA looked at how the hangar could be used in the future. Many groups want the hangar saved because it is a major historical landmark.
In 2011, workers began removing the outside panels of Hangar One.
Restoration of Hangar One
On April 21, 2011, crews started stripping the toxic panels from Hangar One.
In November 2014, a company owned by Google signed a 60-year lease for Hangar One. This deal saves NASA money each year. Google plans to spend an extra $200 million to fix up and restore the hangar.
Hangars Two and Three
Moffett Field's Hangars Two and Three were built at the start of World War II. They were part of a plan to defend the coast. These hangars are still some of the largest wooden buildings in the country without internal supports.
In 1940, the US Navy wanted to build more airship stations. These stations would help patrol the coast and harbors. Due to a shortage of steel, 17 large wooden hangars were built instead of steel ones. These were spread across 10 bases.
Seven of these original 17 wooden hangars still exist today. Two are at Moffett Field. Two are in Tustin, California. One is in Tillamook, Oregon. And two are in Lakehurst, New Jersey.
An episode of the Discovery Channel TV show MythBusters used one of these hangars. They used it to show that you can fold a large sheet of paper more than seven times. The paper covered almost the entire width of the hangar.
Facilities at Moffett Field
Even though Moffett Field is no longer a main military base, it still has many active facilities. Military families still live in Moffett Community Housing. The former base also has places for academics and students linked to the Ames Research Center to stay. Residents at Moffett Field can use a store, a post office, a golf course, and tennis courts.
Airfield Runways
Moffett Field is an active airfield. It has two active runways:
- Runway 14L/32R: 9,202 feet (2,805 meters) long, with a concrete surface.
- Runway 14R/32L: 8,127 feet (2,477 meters) long, with an asphalt surface.
University Campuses
Moffett Field is also home to parts of three universities. These are San Jose State University, Carnegie Mellon Silicon Valley, and UC Santa Cruz. Singularity University is also here. These campuses help with research and learning between the universities and NASA Ames.
Private Aircraft
Moffett Airfield is where the private planes of Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin are kept. They pay NASA to park their Boeing 767-200 and Gulfstream V jets. NASA has also put scientific equipment on these planes for experiments.
Lockheed Martin and a helicopter company also use the airfield.
In 2008, the first Zeppelin airship to offer private flights in the United States since 1937 was housed in Hangar Two. It was named Eureka. Zeppelin flights ended in 2012.
United States Geological Survey (USGS)
In 2016, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) announced plans to move its West Coast science center to Moffett Field. This move started in 2017.
Units Based at Moffett
- 129th Rescue Wing, California Air National Guard
- 63rd Regional Readiness Command Headquarters, United States Army Reserve
- 7th Psychological Operations Group Headquarters, United States Army Reserve
- 341st Military Police Company (Combat Support), U.S. Army
- 351st Civil Affairs Command, U.S. Army
Images for kids
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Aerial view of Moffett Field from the east. New Google buildings are visible on both sides of Stevens Creek beyond the field.
